Announcements

Fishing Minnesota has added a new menu item (see above) called Fishing Report Clubs. It's a way to keep the really good fishing reports coming and being shared only with those who also provide detailed fishing reports.
We will only approve new members who request to join if they have already posted a recent fishing report in the area forum, associated with the Fishing Report Club area you want to join.
Initially we are going to limit the number of regular memberships, in the Fishing Report Clubs, to the top 20 members in each Club, to those with the best frequency and quality fishing reports provided in the club and less so in the regular fishing report forum open to all members. The higher quality fishing report reserved for the club of course.
If you want see detailed fishing reports/tips around your area and will share your detailed fishing report as soon as you join, then Join Now!
Some of the clubs are starting to fill fast. Use the Fishing Reports Club link in the Menu above (after you've posted a fishing report in the regular area forum) and request to Join.

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MinnKota or MoterGuide?

Question

go4carl 0

go4carl 0

I have gone through two Minnkota trolling moters this year both brand new. One the footpedal shorted out (while I was using it barefoot - ouch...) and the last one because the steering cable lost all tension (the tighting screw has no effect). I thought I was upgrading this spring to a Minnkota from my Moterguide but now think I should go back, any thoughts?

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11 answers to this question

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Northlander 73

Northlander 73

Its up to you. If you dont like Minkota go Motorguide. Myself I wont touch a motorguide after talking to several people who had them. To each his own though. Go with what makes you happy not with waht makes others happy.

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uffdapete 3

uffdapete 3

I have had one Motor Guide and never another. I have had 3 MK's over the last 30 years and had very few problems with them, but still won't buy anybody's foot controlled bow mount. That's just me and I know there are strong opinions otherwise.

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BAIT956 0

BAIT956 0

Over the years, I have had a number of MK's and a couple of years ago got a Motorguide with a used boat that I purchased. Worked fine, but I couldn't get used to the different foot pedal after using the flat MK pedal for so many years. I found that I have gotten to the point where I don't often even look at it, but, operate it by feel with my foot. Gave the Motorguide away to a buddy of mine with the understanding that I could still use it in an emergency.

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go4carl 0

go4carl 0

I went with the Motorguide 24v 75 thrust digital wireless. The foot pedal is wireless and responds better than I thought it would. I also purchased the remote that goes with it. Will see how it goes. I had a motorguide on my boat when I bought it but it was a 47 thrust 12v and I wanted to upgrade this year but like I said after I went through two of them on consecutive weekends I gave up on them. As Bush would say "fool me once.... uh can't be fooled again"

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Wayne Ek 0

Wayne Ek 0

I will not run anything but a Motor Guide. A couple of years back they had some quality control problems, but I have always had good luck with them. I'm on the water almost everyday. I trust them to work, as I can not have a motor go down during a guide trip. And now with the new Hydrila Hacker prop, they will go thru everything, period.

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RK 4

RK 4

I've run MotorGuides for close to 18 years. Seldom any problems, though any machine can break I guess. In Canada once I smacked a rock and bent my tm shaft. Pulled it off the boat, went up into the woods and found a forked tree, straightened the shaft (more or less) and used it the rest of the week. Seemed tough enough to me. MG sort of went through a rough stretch right before they got bought out, but the last several I've had have been bullet proof. Best thing about them I think are the Gator Mounts. They're rock solid. I run cable drives, and the Tour Editions are the best cable drive on the market I think. Guys that run the MG servo steer motors seem to like them too.

Made it out this weekend again with a bunch of friends on Saturday morning. Ice conditions at shore were great condition, ice driving around was just fine especially since I was only in 2wd. Fished a deep hole from 6:30 till 2 pm around Dent. Fish were active and everyone was able to land a few fish. Fish ranged from 12-16" with average being in that 14-15" range. Tons of people out there. Coming off the ice the access was no longer in great condition but was still very easy to get off the water.
Fished over by perham in the afternoon for crappies hit a deep hole that usually holds good populations. Graphed a ton but only 3-6" crappies. Fished till graphs died, guess LX7's with a 9 amp hour rating wont run 12+ hours lol. Access on that lake was getting very sketchy to say the least. Everyone kept driving on good ice so the trails coming off the lake were sporadic at best. Lots of snow on the lake and lots of slush and flooded spots on the lake. We were throwing water with 4wd in the pickup locked in.
Fished Sunday morning again, buddy I took is worse than most 5 year olds so it was an interesting morning. Got one around 7:15 right away. Was trying to set his rod up and graph and hooked one in the process he gave it too much slack and lost it. 5 minutes later he's fighting one and I can hear drag flying off so I thought I went too light of gear for him, he landed an 18.5" tuilibee! Biggest one of the weekend and ended up being his only fish. We fished the rest of the morning and ended up with about a dozen of them. Range was from 5" to 18.5" average being about 14" again. Access coming off was same condition but you drive through a "Beach" on shore and the beach is getting really dug out and soft.
Unless we get tons of cold weather soon I might be done for driving on any access that gets hit by sunlight. Sun has tons of power and I got a nasty sunburn on Saturday while hole hoping!

Made it out this weekend again with a bunch of friends on Saturday morning. Ice conditions at shore were great condition, ice driving around was just fine especially since I was only in 2wd. Fished a deep hole from 6:30 till 2 pm around Dent. Fish were active and everyone was able to land a few fish. Fish ranged from 12-16" with average being in that 14-15" range. Tons of people out there. Coming off the ice the access was no longer in great condition but was still very easy to get off the water.
Fished over by perham in the afternoon for crappies hit a deep hole that usually holds good populations. Graphed a ton but only 3-6" crappies. Fished till graphs died, guess LX7's with a 9 amp hour rating wont run 12+ hours lol. Access on that lake was getting very sketchy to say the least. Everyone kept driving on good ice so the trails coming off the lake were sporadic at best. Lots of snow on the lake and lots of slush and flooded spots on the lake. We were throwing water with 4wd in the pickup locked in.
Fished Sunday morning again, buddy I took is worse than most 5 year olds so it was an interesting morning. Got one around 7:15 right away. Was trying to set his rod up and graph and hooked one in the process he gave it too much slack and lost it. 5 minutes later he's fighting one and I can hear drag flying off so I thought I went too light of gear for him, he landed an 18.5" tuilibee! Biggest one of the weekend and ended up being his only fish. We fished the rest of the morning and ended up with about a dozen of them. Range was from 5" to 18.5" average being about 14" again. Access coming off was same condition but you drive through a "Beach" on shore and the beach is getting really dug out and soft.
Unless we get tons of cold weather soon I might be done for driving on any access that gets hit by sunlight. Sun has tons of power and I got a nasty sunburn on Saturday while hole hoping!

Wow just figured it out 105 day and counting that I have gone on to the lake. There may of been a day or two that I did not go on the lake but I guess I do not remember when that was. Its been another fun grind if that can be such a thing.
My blogging has not been as much as I would like. After a couple days you can not remember all the little things that happen. Such as as all the fishermen's names that I meet along the way. How many fish were caught and released, who did what, why they drove there, what mother nature threw at us.
I would say that not as many fishermen drove into the pressure ridges or snow berms this year.
There were again more wheel houses this year then last year as they just keep pumping them things out. There were some lake politics that I do not get to talk about, about the same as every year. I hooked up with snowbear Josh as he has become a new friend, I tried to give him some pointers and helped him out where I could.
If I graded the fishing 1 to 10 I would give her a 8, we had 3 really slow weekends in our spots. It seems that they are always biting somewhere on this lake, its just getting to them places can some times be impossible.
If I graded Buddy Hillmens road/highway it gets a 10, but I biased on that as I help with that. Our crappie get together has gotten smaller which is fine as I get to spend more time with the guys and gals. My working vacation started the day after walleye closed. I'm defiantly burned out with cooking the 3 course meals in old Minnesota, all though the cooking space is about the same size as our kitchen just no running water.
I would say we have to be around 150 to 200 elusive yet still catchable upper red lake crappies since walleye closed. Which is pretty good considering we can not get to where we want to be this year. I've really had to stay on the move to get the houses on new spots to improve the chance of catching such a elusive fish, but I always wonder if I should of stayed where I was.
When Wayne came up this weekend he drove into the maze of trails I have made in the last 3 weeks and said "your right you really do ruin areas" man did we have a laugh about that. They say Laughter makes you younger and again I may of gained a year or two.
Having Jonny boy working with me was a treat, as any time you can spend quality time with your kids is a bonus in life. Auguring holes with all most 3 feet of ice has become quite the chore , he makes it look easy, as after 3 holes I'm spent, I'm not sure how I ever have been able to knock out 40 holes on a Thursday or Friday. I guess I have to chalk it up to age.
He is also a fishing machine compared to me. He had spent every night out there since walleye closed. As our good friend Ole has said in the past. "he is a trophy hunter" you can not catch them if your not out there. Every one of these elusive crappies in my book are trophies'
Yesterday I started moving the fleet home after saying good bye to the guys. I have 3 of the 6 houses staged close to shore. Were going to keep montana and California out there for a couple more days I think, It all depends on mother nature, and how cutting the trail to Hillmens road goes today with the red baron. The houses can be out there after the 19th as long as there occupied and Jonny boy has no problem staying out there a few more nights.
Now for the fishing report, Ryan and his son Ripply arrived Thursday and spent two nights in florida. They were rewarded with 3 elusive yet still catchable upper red lake crappies. I also had 5 in the cooler so we sent him home with 5 total enough to have a great meal. The hammer and I ate the other 3 out there last night.
Wayne made it up for old Minnesota, I managed to snag one Saturday eve so he also got to have fresh crappie dinner when he got home last night.
jeoff, Jeromy, Larry and Kevin were in north Dakota and montana. North dakota got 5 the first night and Saturday morning, montana got 2 I think, then Saturday night it was the opposite. They figured they caught at least 20 counting the fish caught hole hopping during the day. The crew of 4 only kept 8 or 9.
Jonny boy and I also moved California and Florida Friday , Jonny boy picked a good spot for California and has caught more then a few, yesterday Dick and his wife came for the evening and had 2 last I heard, Dick said both are going on the wall.
Marty and Tony came down from low Saturday and fished in florida they left before dark so no fish for them.
Sounds like Darrin is going to come up tomorrow for a day or 2. Jeoff said he may come back as he has a hard time putting the ice fishing gear away, kinda like me putting the golf clubs or the fish houses away. I took the hammer fishing last night for her birthday but no elusive crappie for her all though I think she may of lost one or two, as well as me.
Hillmens highway is still in good shape, with the lake completely snow covered at this time. we have not lost much if any ice other then the landing which is not that big of a deal as its so shallow .